Scarlett soared through the sky with her six wings spread wide, cutting through the air like an archangel. The wind roared loudly around them, and shockwaves followed behind as she flew faster than sound. Her face was calm, but her speed was terrifying.
Behind her, Aoto and Chiyoko were being carried by her, one in each arm.
"Cough… cough… slow down! I can't even breathe properly!" Chiyoko gasped for air, coughing hard as the wind blasted against his face.
Scarlett glanced at him with a bored look and sighed. She slowed down just a little so he wouldn't pass out.
"The distance is still huge. If I fly this slow, it'll take way too long," she mumbled to herself.
Even though only 8% of the planet was land, the planet itself was massive—hundreds of times bigger than Earth. Just the 8% land was already larger than several Earths combined. That's why traveling from one region to another still took time, even with super speed.
As she flew, Scarlett could see the war happening in the distance. On the borders of the kingdom, humans and demons were clashing violently. Explosions and magic blasts flashed in the sky like fireworks. Screams, roars, and battle cries echoed across the land. Even from high up, it was clear—the demon army had the upper hand.
But as Scarlett's eyes scanned the battlefield, Aoto suddenly had an idea.
"Wait! How about I give you my memory of the place near the fifth demon king's border? That way, you can just teleport us there directly!" he said with excitement.
Scarlett raised an eyebrow. "Hmm… not a bad idea. But how are you going to give me your memory?"
Aoto smiled proudly. "I think my unique skill can help. It's the first time I'm trying this, so let's just hope I don't accidentally send you my most embarrassing moments."
Scarlett chuckled a little. "I already know all your embarrassing moments. What else is left to hide?"
Both of them laughed softly at that. Their casual and familiar tone made Chiyoko feel a bit awkward.
"They really seem close… like, really close. They know so much about each other. I wonder how I can get close to Miss Scarlett too…" Chiyoko thought silently, feeling left out.
Meanwhile, Aoto placed a hand on his forehead and activated his skill.
Unique Skill: Reality Warping
He manupilated reality, Turning his memories into a bubble. A soft glow surrounded his hand, and with focus, he pulled out a shining memory bubble from his head. It looked like a small, glowing orb filled with colors and scenes swirling inside.
Carefully, Aoto brought the bubble toward Scarlett's forehead.
Scarlett didn't flinch. The orb touched her skin and disappeared into her, and in an instant, the memories entered her mind.
Her eyes blinked as flashes of Aoto's memories ran through her—images of the demon realm border, even a moment where Aoto ran away screaming from Seraphina like a frightened rabbit.
Scarlett blinked once. Then again. And then—
"Pfft…!"
She suddenly burst into soft laughter.
Aoto let out a long sigh with a slight blush on his cheeks.
"I knew this would happen…" he mumbled, clearly embarrassed from Scarlett seeing his goofy memory.
Chiyoko, on the other hand, was still completely confused.
"What did she even see in that memory bubble?" he thought, scratching his head.
"I'm teleporting now!" Scarlett announced without warning.
And in the blink of an eye, a bright light flashed—and the three of them vanished from the sky.
They reappeared in a thick forest at the edge of the demon realm—just at the border of the fifth demon king's territory. Scarlett stayed hovering in the air while carrying Aoto and Chiyoko.
From where they were, Scarlett could already see the fifth demon king's castle far away in the distance. But despite the distance, it looked surprisingly close because of how massive and tall the castle was.
She turned her head slightly to the right. In the far distance, she could see the edge of the sixth demon king's land. The soil there was a deep blood red, the clouds above it were dark and heavy, and the air looked thick with gloom and despair. It gave off a very depressing and dangerous feeling.
But right below them, in Noir's territory, things were different.
The soil was black and gray, but there were trees, buildings, and what looked like a giant city with many houses and structures. Monsters and demons moved about, going on with their daily lives like people in a normal town.
Scarlett slowly flew down and placed Aoto and Chiyoko gently on the ground.
"We'll continue from here," she said. "It's better to go by foot. I can fight in the sky just fine, but it's safer for you two down here."
They nodded, and the three of them began walking down the quiet road toward the demon city ahead.
"Are you sure we can take on a demon king and his entire territory just the three of us?" Aoto asked, a little worried.
"Most of his army is already at war with Darwitz," Chiyoko answered instead.
Aoto narrowed his eyes at him and muttered, "Who asked you…?"
But he didn't say anything out loud.
———
The group walked in silence. The only sounds were their footsteps and the wind rustling the trees. There were no guards, no monsters attacking them, nothing but stillness.
"This silence… it's making me feel really uneasy," Aoto said, rubbing his arms as a chill ran down his back.
As they got closer to the city, Scarlett started noticing more and more demons and monsters going about their day. Some were farming. Some were pulling water from a well. Some were just walking together or chatting, like normal people.
It reminded Scarlett of DreadHaven—her own home, where different types of monsters lived together peacefully. It looked almost… peaceful.
"Let's just ask someone how their ruler looks and if he's in the castle," Scarlett suddenly said.
"You're really going to ask them that?" Chiyoko blinked, shocked.
Scarlett smirked. "Why not? What could they possibly do to me?"
With that, she picked up her pace and ran into the city without a second thought.
There were no gates. No guards. Just open roads leading straight through the city. Aoto and Chiyoko rushed to follow her, confused and nervous.
Scarlett kept running until she saw a small restaurant on the side of the road. Inside, a demon man was sitting alone, calmly eating a large chunk of orc meat with a knife and fork. He was eating with elegant manners, like someone noble.
Without hesitation, Scarlett walked straight up to him.
"Hey," she asked, her voice bold and confident, "do you know what your ruler looks like? Is he in the castle right now?"
The man slowly looked up from his plate. His skin was pale with a strange glow, his hair was pure white, and his eyes were black as ink—cold and deep. Strange dark-blue tattoos shaped like ancient runes ran from his forehead down his face, making his sharp horns look even more dangerous.
He smiled calmly and said in a smooth voice,
"I'm the fifth demon king, Noir."
Aoto and Chiyoko's jaws dropped.
Scarlett blinked and slowly raised her eyebrow.
"…Well, that was fast."
Scarlett and Noir stared at each other for a brief moment—then suddenly…
"Then die!" Scarlett shouted, her voice full of anger.
Without warning, she gave a powerful kick straight at Noir.
BAM!!
The impact caused a massive shockwave that blew up the entire restaurant in one second. Wood and stone flew in all directions as the walls shattered.
But even after that powerful kick, Noir had blocked it with his knee and hand.
He stood there, surprised. "Such great physical strength" he muttered, clearly not expecting her to be so strong.
Scarlett smirked. "There's more where that came from."
She pushed even harder, and with a loud crack, Noir's hand broke under the pressure. Her leg shot forward and slammed into his neck.
BOOM!!
Noir went flying through the air, crashing through multiple houses like a meteor. Dust and debris flew everywhere as the people nearby screamed and ran for cover.
Aoto and Chiyoko finally reached the scene, panting and wide-eyed.
"What happened?" Aoto asked, trying to catch his breath.
Scarlett didn't even turn around. Her gaze stayed fixed on the destruction ahead.
"The demon king is actually here," she said with a proud grin. "I'm going to finish him. You two—handle anyone who gets in our way."
Aoto and Chiyoko quickly nodded, standing on guard.
Just then—SWOOSH!—a kick came flying toward Scarlett's face.
But before it could hit her, Scarlett raised her palm and stopped it like it was nothing.
"Is everyone in this world just slow… or am I just too fast?" she said calmly, gripping Noir's foot tightly.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
She swung him around like a ragdoll, smashing him into the ground over and over again like someone beating clothes on a rock. Dust flew with every hit. The sight was brutal.
Then, she tossed him high into the air with one strong throw. With a jump, she followed him up and—
WHAM!!
She began punching and kicking him midair, faster than anyone could see. It was like a storm of fists. Noir's body was crushed again and again, only for it to heal, and then get crushed again.
Noir tried to punch back—but he was way too slow. Scarlett dodged, blocked, and then punched half his face off.
Each of her blows caused huge shockwaves, blasting buildings and flattening trees in their path.
From far behind, Chiyoko squinted through the dust and whispered, "What the hell is this? Is this a fight between gods?"
BOOM!!
Noir's body crashed down into the ground, making a deep hole. Dust and broken pieces of stone swirled in the air.
Scarlett landed softly, like a feather.
She stared at her fist, thinking, "My physical strength… it's way beyond what it was when I fought Lunatic."
Back then, Lunatic was already at demon king level—and even she couldn't match Scarlett. Now months had passed, and Scarlett had grown even stronger.
She walked calmly toward the crater. Noir's body was barely hanging together—burnt, ripped, and twitching.
Without a second thought, she pulled him out, shoved her hand into his chest, and yanked out his heart.
She crushed it in her fist.
It exploded like a rotten fruit.
Scarlett wiped the blood from her clothes, her fingers moving slowly but calmly, as if it was just a little dirt she wanted to clean off. A smirk appeared on her face as she turned around with confidence in her steps.
"The demon king is dead," she said in a cool and relaxed voice, like it was just another small task she had finished.
"Dead? Just like that?" Chiyoko's eyes were wide in disbelief. His mouth stayed slightly open, and he looked completely frozen in place. Aoto was just as shocked. Even though he already knew how powerful Scarlett was, seeing her defeat a demon king in just a few minutes still felt unreal to him.
Scarlett walked toward them slowly, her footsteps light but firm. "Do you want to kill Seraphina too?" she asked without any tension in her tone. "Or should we just leave?"
But then—
A voice suddenly echoed through the air. Cold, deep, and almost creepy. The kind of voice that makes your skin crawl.
"Dead? I've been dead too many times."
Everyone quickly turned around. Their eyes widened as they saw Noir floating in the air, completely unharmed, as if nothing had happened. He looked relaxed, even a little amused, holding something small in his hand.
Scarlett's eyes narrowed in confusion. She glanced down—
The dead body of Noir was still there, lying motionless on the ground with its heart clearly missing. There was no illusion or trick here. But the Noir floating in front of them now was just as real as the one lying below.
Noir didn't look tense or angry at all. With a casual expression, he slowly raised his hand toward the sunlight. In his hand, he held a piece of black cloth—
A bra.
Not just any bra. Judging by its size, it was made for someone with "G" cup or slightly biggerbreasts.
Noir tilted his head and studied it with confusion.
"Only a bra...? How strange," he said quietly, like he was genuinely puzzled.
Then he looked straight at Scarlett with his sharp eyes.
"Do you not wear panties?"